Mexican handicrafts and arts are a collection of complex items made with various materials and intended for utilitarian, decorative or other purposes. Some hand-produced goods in the country include ceramics, wall hangings, vases, furniture, textiles and more. In Mexico, the two crafts made for utilitarian purposes and folk art are collectively known as "artesana" because they share a common history and are both a valuable part of Mexico's national identity. The artesana tradition of Mexico is a blend of original and European design and techniques. This mixing, called "mestizo" was specifically emphasized by Mexico's political, intellectual, and artistic elite in the early twentieth century after the Mexican Revolution overthrew the French-style president and modernization focused on Porfirio Daz. Today, Mexican artesana is exported and is one of the reasons why tourists are attracted to the country. However, competition from manufactured and imitation products from countries like China has caused problems for Mexican craftsmen.
Video Mexican handcrafts and folk art
Definition of Mexican folk art and crafts
Mexican crafts and arts are a collection of intricate items made with various materials and made for utilitarian, decorative or other purposes, such as wall hangings, vases, toys, and items made for religious celebrations, celebrations and rituals. These arts and crafts are collectively called "artesana" in Spanish Mexican. The term was found in Spanish during the 20th century to differentiate merchandise made with traditional versus methods made with industrial/assembly line methods. It is also used to promote traditional products to tourists and as a source of Mexico's national identity. Artesania Mexico has its foundation in the craft of many pre-Hispanic cultures in the country, but 500 years of European influence has turned it into a mixture of two and unique to Mexico. Most artesana produced here show European and original influences in craft, design or both.
Artesana can be defined as items made by ordinary people, using traditional methods grounded in the past. Most artisans do not have school-based training in their skills, but rather learn through formal or informal apprenticeship. The term "ordinary person" for Mexico generally applies to native people of rural areas and people outside the upper and middle classes.
For Mexico, artesana is heavily tied to national identity as well as indigenous identity, and this idea is often played in film and television in the country. From the beginning of the 20th century to the present day, Mexican folk art has inspired renowned artists such as Diego Rivera, Rufino Tamayo, Josà © Clemente Orozco, FernÃÆ'¡ndez Ledezma, Luis Nishizawa, and many others. Miguel Covarrubias and Salvador Novo define true Mexican artesana as a mixture of European and indigenous traditions, with goods produced for domestic consumption, mostly for the Mexican middle class. This definition is best suited for the production of pottery, leather, textiles and toys. This definition was founded in the early post-Mexican Revolution era when artists and intellectuals paid close attention to the creation of an authentic identity for Mexico, which revolves around the concept of "mestizo" or a mixture of European and indigenous races. This is even considered by some of his supporters, such as Dr. Atl, that any change in Mexican artesana would lead to degradation and the identity they represent.
Most artesana produced in Mexico are ordinary things that are made for everyday use, but they are still considered artistic because they mostly contain decorative and/or painted details with bright colors for aesthetic purposes. The use of bold colors in crafts and other construction extends back to pre-Hispanic times. Pyramids, temples, murals, textiles and religious objects are painted or colored red ocher, bright green, burnt orange, various yellows and turquoise. It will be combined with other colors introduced by European and Asian contacts, but always in bold tones. Even color production binds into the history of crafting. The red pigment since pre-Hispanic times is made from a cochineal worm, which is crushed, dried, and ground into a powder to be mixed into a liquid base.
Motif designs can vary from pure native to most of Europe with some other elements thrown in. The usual geometric designs and most directly connected to the pre-pre-Hispanic past and/or Mexican goods made by the country's remaining indigenous people. The motifs of nature are as popular, if not more than geometric patterns in pre-Hispanic and European influenced designs. They are very prevalent on the wall-ornaments and ceramics. Artesana Mexico also shows the influence of cultures other than Europe. The famous Puebla pottery talavera is a mixture of Chinese, Arabian, Spanish and indigenous design influences. Unrated lacquered furniture in Mexico until Galleon Manila brought lacquered wood products here, which local craftsmen copied.
Many Mexican handicrafts are considered "Baroque" styles, with definitions like "decorative styles characterized by usage, and occasional abuse, ornaments in which curved lines predominate." This is the result of the Spanish Plateresque and Churrigueresque styles used during the colonial period and possibly from some very well-tempered pre-Hispanic traditions as well.
Maps Mexican handcrafts and folk art
History
Towards the pre-Conquest era, the Aztecs have absorbed many of the trades and traditions of Toltec, Mixtec, Zapotec and Maya. In some of his writings, HernÃÆ'¡n CortÃÆ'Â © s describes a myriad of artificial items available on the Tenochtitlan market such as textiles, fur art, containers made with pumpkins and objects made of precious metal. Bernardino de SahagÃÆ'ºn describes various items made from uneven plants, various pottery, and about the special place that the craftsmen have in the original social hierarchy.
In the very early colonial period, the original art class was persecuted and all destroyed, as many of the designs and techniques they used were associated with pre-Hispanic religious practices, which the Spaniards wanted to replace with Christianity. In contrast, new crafts and new craft techniques were introduced from Europe and often taught to the indigenous and mestizo in mission.
The surviving crafts of Conquest, such as pottery, are enriched by new techniques from Europe. New crafts are also brought to Mexico, like saddlemaking, and naturalized by local craftsmen, using original design elements. However, crafts that do not fit with European lifestyles or tastes, such as feather mosaics, tend to disappear.
One thing worth noting about the re-establishment of crafts in the early colonial period was the work of Vasco de Quiroga. Quiroga arrives in the newly conquered province of MichoacÃÆ'¡n after NuÃÆ'Â ± o BeltrÃÆ'¡n de GuzmÃÆ'¡n has killed many Pechans natives, destroying many crops and disrupting the economy. He began to repair the damage by feeding hungry schools and hospitals, establishing and rebuilding the economy. He works to rebuild pre-existing crafts, often introduces new techniques, and to build new crafts. To avoid competition for the same limited market, he encourages each village to specialize in a particular craft or product. He managed to bring many original craftsmen back to their work. Quiroga was the first person to systematically integrate native and Spanish craft techniques and labor organizations. Vasco de Quiroga is still revered in the state of MichoacÃÆ'¡n, especially Lake PÃÆ'¡tzcuaro region, and the country is famous as a handicraft manufacturer.
Later, the craft redefined themselves, since most of them were dominated by mestizo or a mixture of indigenous and European ancestors. However, strict controls remain on production by higher classes and government authorities.
Toward the end of the colonial period, other clerical members actively promoted handicrafts as a way to help those in lower social positions in Mexico. In 1803, Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla settled as a parish priest of Dolores, Guanajuato. Moving most of his religious duties to a vicar, Hidalgo dedicated himself to trade, intellectual pursuits and humanitarian activities. He spent much of his time studying literature, scientific papers, grape cultivation, silkworm breeding. He used the knowledge he gained to promote economic activity for the poor and rural in his region. He set up a factory to make bricks and pottery and train natives in leather work. He also promotes beekeeping. He is interested in promoting commercial value activities to use the region's natural resources to help the poor. The goal is to make the Indians and mestizos become more independent. However, this activity violates policies designed to protect the agriculture and industry of the Spanish peninsula, and Hidalgo is ordered to stop them. The treatment of Spanish authorities against peasants and the lower classes would be one of the factors in encouraging Hidalgo to start the Mexican War of Independence with the famous Grito de Dolores. Efforts Hidalgo established the Majolica pottery industry in the state of Guanajuato.
After the Mexican War of Independence, the handicraft unions that had arranged its manufacture through the colonial period were abolished. Because anyone can call themselves as artisans, product quality deteriorates, especially in pottery, foreign products enter the country freely and industrialization begins to take over. To help stop the socio-economic decline of crafters, fraternities, cooperatives and professional organizations was established. However, indigenous artists generally do not join this association, and they remain in their own socio-economic organization.
The status of the original craft remained precarious and subsequently depreciated during what is now known as Porfirato, or the long rule of President Porfirio DÃÆ'az from the 1880s to 1910. Not only crafts, but almost all of Mexico's original is almost disposed of for French style and modernization.
Porphyria terminated by the Mexican Revolution. Toward the end of the Revolution, there was the desire of artists, intellectuals and politicians to define and promote Mexico's national identity. Part of this effort is aimed at the Mexican craft tradition. A number of Mexican intellectuals and artists, including Dr. Atl and Adolfo Best Maugard, fascinated in folk art. Convinced of their importance, they began to write about the subject, and since then many books on the topic have been published. President Alvaro Obregon is interested in promoting Mexican handicrafts outside Mexico. A group of academics and artists interested in folk art were commissioned to form the first collection to be public. This group includes Gerardo Murillo, Javier Guerrero, Ixca FarÃÆ'as, Roberto Montenegro and Gabriel FernÃÆ'¡ndez Ledezma.
The last hundred years of the Mexican War of Independence in 1821 encouraged two major fairs of Mexican folk art, one in Mexico City and the other in Los Angeles. It is conceived by Roberto Montenegro and Jorge Enciso, with the help of Xavier Guerrero, Adolfo Best Maugard and Gerardo Murillo or Dr. Atl. In this period, Dr. Atl published a two-volume work called "Las Artes populares de MÃÆ' Â © xico" (Mexican folk art) which became the authority on the subject. These surveys include discussions on pottery, clay pottery, toys, silver, gold, mosaic feathers, baskets, textiles, wooden objects, folk religious paintings called ex-votos or retablos as well as other folk art expressions such as theater, poetry and graphic arts.
In the 1920s, upper class homes were mostly still set in European style, with the middle and lower classes decorating their homes with crafts like serapes from Oaxaca. During the 1920s and 1930s, Mexican artists and academics such as Diego Rivera, Adolfo Best Maugart and Frida Kahlo promoted Mexican folk art and crafts as well as foreigners such as Francisca Toor and William Spratling. Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo encourage linking Mexican identity with original crafts, with Frida adopting native dress as her appearance.
Folk art has had a significant influence on the art in Mexico over the decade, which can be seen in Frida Kahlo's paintings, MarÃÆ'a Izquierdo, Roberto Montenegro, and others. One particular effect is the use of bold colors. Artesana is described as a mass phenomenon, with the aim of promoting Mexico's national identity. Despite the support for artesana by many Mexican elites, foreign collectors, critics and gallery owners in the first decade of the 20th century, the pieces themselves were never considered true art. They are considered examples of genuine intuition, genius and tradition but not individual talents. For much of the 20th century, what is most discussed about Mexican artisans is its collective meaning, especially identifying it with various ethnic groups. This anonymity assures that such an expression will remain somewhat lower than "true art," and its creators call craftsmen and not artists.
From 1920 to 1950, Mexico was the third largest handcrafts manufacturer, behind Japan and China, with the support described above. However, this support does not lead to large museum collections or a higher assessment of the work being produced. Some crafts do not benefit because it is associated with a new myth of Mexican identity. One of them is waxcrafting, since it is mostly related to Catholic religious items and motifs. Currently, only a handful of people still work with candles and for all intents and purposes, the plane died in Mexico. The glorification of crafts and national icons, archetypes and prototypes in the first half of the 20th century had some negative effects. Certain drawings such as China Poblana, rural scenes, charros etc., began to appear almost everywhere on products made by the craftsmen. Mexican artesana promotions were received earlier by foreigners than by Mexicans themselves. Very few examples of early twentieth-century handicrafts survive and most of the best collections are in the hands of North America or Europe.
The appreciation of native Mexicans towards their own craft will be helped by the middle of the century, in part because of the film's popularity by Emilio "El Indio" FernÃÆ'¡ndez and Gabriel Figueroa. Finally, even the houses in the exclusive Lomas de Chapultepec neighborhood of Mexico City will have a "lo mexicano" (Mexican-ness) touch in their home. In late 1940, the governor of the Mexican state, Isidro Fabela, created the first museum dedicated to folk art and Mexican folk crafts in Toluca. Then Mexican President Miguel AlemÃÆ'¡n ValdÃÆ' Â © inaugurated the National Museum of Popular Art and Industry, named Fernando Gamboa as curator. Gamboa held an exposition in Europe with great success. Adolfo LÃÆ'³pez Mateos creates trust to promote Mexican art and crafts called Banco Nacional de Fomento Cooperativo transformed into Fondo Nacional el Fomento de la Artesana (FONART) by Luis EcheverrÃÆ'a today. Various countries are organizing similar support structures, including Casas de Artesana which is a state-owned shop that sells handmade items. Personal initiatives by Banamex support a large number of artists and organize expositions in which some of the finest crafts can be found and purchased.
In 1940, the Primer Congreso Indigenista Interamericano took place at PÃÆ'¡tzcuaro, giving rise to the Indigoista Mexicano Institute. In the 1950s, this institute, together with INAH, created the Patronato de las Artes e Industrias Populares, which played an important role in the protection and promotion of Mexican handicrafts. During the same decade, the first socio-economic studies of this craft tradition took place, with the aim of establishing economic policy in their regard. In 1969, the first Congresso Nacional de ArtesanÃÆ'a was held in Mexico City, which led to the creation of the Consejo Nacional par alas Artesanias, with a shop called Palacio de las ArtesanÃÆ'as. Then Direccion General de Arte Popular and Fondo Nacional para el Fomento de la Artesanias were created. This will then be replaced by DirecciÃÆ'³n General de Culturas Populares and within this entity is Departamento de ArtesanÃÆ'as. Next was founded Junta de Fomento de Artesanos, which published a magazine called Semanario ArtÃÆ'stico. To promote Mexican-made products, this group organizes the Juntas PatriÃÆ'³ticas, which has one purpose as exclusive consumption by its members only from folk art and crafts from Mexico. Many of these organizations have recognitions, awards and events related to artesana including the national prize of Premio Nacional de Arte Popular (National Folk Art Award).
With the growing intellectual and formal institutional interest in the arts, there has also been a strong interest in the Mexican people. Much of this was due to the emergence of middle class in Mexico between 1950 and 1980 which indicated a preference for mass-produced goods and a desire to be part of a progressive national culture, rather than the traditional one locally. At the end of this period, artesana is considered nothing more than a collection of curiosities. The cheap imitations of Mexican handicrafts, especially those relating to religion, began to flock to Mexican markets from North America and Asia, moving to kitsch, like Christ's image with an optical illusion to make it look like a blink. True folklore like exvotos is no longer made or made for tourists or collectors, not as a true religious expression.
Interest in the latter part of the 20th century will be concentrated among academics, collectors/"experts" and tourists. Among the craftsmen themselves, there have been several movements since the 1970s to break away from the tradition of anonymity into an acclaimed individual talent as an artist. Some who have managed to do this include Roberto Ruiz, who specializes in works made of bones, Teresa Nava who makes maquettes, Teodoro Torres who make the main character and more. In each of these cases, the individual talents of the artist are part of the value of the created work.
The tourism industry and foreign interests are now an important part of keeping Mexican artesana traditions alive. However, mass imitation production is often sold to tourists.
Export
Mexican artesana is sold to foreigners in two ways. The first is for tourists, because Mexican handmade goods are part of what makes the country attractive to foreign visitors. The second is through exports. Artesana Mexico is widely sold outside Mexico, mainly via the Internet. However, none of the marketing entities or companies whose business is exporting Mexican artesans in general. Exporting is mostly done by investing in certain crafts by certain people, rather than the large-scale promotions of Mexican handicrafts in general.
One example involves small businesses and cooperatives that attract foreign investment and opportunities to sell their goods abroad. One such cooperative, led by Nurith Alvarez Cravioto, in the State of Hidalgo consists of the rural poor, many of whom have sent people to the United States to work, and former inmates who can not find work. They require investing nearly $ 10,000 USD to build a workshop and buy equipment. They could not get money from Hidalgo or Mexican federal sources. However, their case is well known that a state politician mentions it to the secretary of the Japanese embassy in Mexico. The cooperative makes a sale to the Japanese embassy, ​​which agrees to finance the cooperative. This effort is expected to lead to the ability to export cooperative products to Japan.
Another community in Hidalgo called Axhiquihuixtla made a ceremonial mask of carved wood. Sculptor Javier Astora finds the community and buys their masks. They close at a gallery called Biddingtons in New York where they take the price up to 350 dollars, compared to the 250 pesos (about $ 25) they usually sell.
Maintaining traditions
As in the past, most of the manufactured products produced in Mexico are still consumed domestically in everyday family life, especially items such as clothing, kitchen utensils and the like, as well as ceremonial and religious objects. Much of what the world knows as Mexican handicrafts were promoted in the 1920's and is considered luxury, with Talavera pottery as an example. The tradition survives in the production of many of these products. Only five percent of Mexican craftsmen use innovative methods in production, design and promotion with success. 65% continue to make their craft with little, if any, differences from their ancestors and 30% are in between.
Many government organizations and programs exist to help craftsmen and promote artsanÃÆ'a production. Many art schools in Mexico have a particular craft class and the Instituto Nacional de Bellas Artes y Literatura has a School of Crafts. In Puebla, artists such as Juan Soriano, Vicente Rojo AlmazÃÆ'¡n, Javier MarÃÆ'n, Gustavo PÃÆ'Ã… © rez, Magali Lara and Francisco Toledo are invited to help redesign the ceramic decorations produced there (but not production techniques), which they do with adding human, animal and other shapes to traditional flower images and curved designs.
The artist's intervention in the design process has been criticized by experts such as Victor Novelo anthropologist, who claims that many of these artists "interfere" in the craft process by introducing ideas even though they have no studies in the cultural traditions behind this craft. He also claims that many college-educated designers believe that with innovative designs, they can help carpenters out of poverty, without knowing why the poorman is in the first place.
Although organizations and institutions, mostly Mexican artisans are poor with little access to quality materials or design, due to lack of cultural knowledge. The craftsmen also have to compete with goods produced in large factories and copies of Mexican artesania imported from places like China. This keeps prices down, and the time it takes to create authentic artesana puts Mexican artisans on economic losses. This is one of the reasons why the younger generation is less interested in the craft tradition.
Kind of arts and crafts in Mexico
Handcrafts in Mexico vary greatly from the materials used, technique and hiring and preferred style. The most common crafts in Mexico are ceramics/pottery. Ceramics is regarded as one of the highest art forms during the Aztec Empire, with the knowledge of making pottery said to be derived from the god Quetzalcoatl himself. Pre-Hispanic pottery is made by circling the clay into a circle then rising to the side, then scratching and printing the circular work until the coils can no longer be detected. Spain introduced new pottery and glass wheel techniques. Majolica glass pottery was introduced by the Spaniards. Puebla is especially famous for its various Majolica, called Talavera. One of the hallmarks of this city is that many kitchens and buildings are decorated with elaborate Talavera tiles. Tiles are part of ceramic pottery and are widely used in the colonial era of Mexico. These tiles were first fired at low temperatures, then hand painted with intricate designs, then fired at high temperatures to regulate the glaze. It's still made, but most of the decorative tiles used in Mexico are factory-made. Non-luminous pottery is still made, but generally only for decorative purposes, and copying pre-Hispanic cultural designs.
Metal Working in Mesoamerica, especially silver, gold and copper, was very advanced when the Spaniards arrived. The gold is smoothed into copper and the metal is hammered into paper thinness and printed using the lost wax method. Some copper and iron tools where produced, but pre-Hispanic metal crafts are dominated by jewelry and ornaments. The Spaniards introduced new techniques such as filigree jobs, where tiny threads of metal were strung together to make jewelry. During the colonial period, indigenous peoples were prohibited from working with precious metals. Today, the ancient design has been revived with Taxco being the center of silver making. Silverwork is now one of Mexico's major exports. Copper work is very abundant in MichoacÃÆ'¡n. Traditional copper objects that hammered are large vessels where pork fat is given or caramelized sugar to make candy. Every year during August Santa Clara del Cobre holds a copper festival.
Many different fibers are twisted, tied, and knitted into textiles and objects. Materials include rush, reeds, threads, ropes and plastic straps as well as many more. Historically, fibers were dyed using pigments made from plants and animals. Synthetic dyes have replaced the natural for many artisans, but there are still some, especially in the state of Oaxaca that still uses traditional dyes. Woven material in Mexico begins with baskets and mats. Agave plants are an important source of fiber and yarn and are still used today for yarn and paper. Cotton is also used, spun into yarn by itself or combined with feather or animal fur to provide warmth. Very traditional Mexican ladies still spin their own yarn, made of cotton or wool and can be very fine or very rough. Textiles have a long history of tradition. Brightly embroidered designs on women's clothing can identify the tribe, age, and marital status of the wearer. Woven textiles were known for pre-Hispanic culture for hundreds of years before the arrival of the Spaniards, using a rope loom woven between the tree and the weaver's back. The Spaniards introduced a pedal loom, which could make a larger piece of cloth.
Weaving is a craft practiced by men, women and children in Mexico and almost every available fiber is made into utilitarian objects such as placemats, baskets, hats and bags. Many of the materials used are left in their natural colors but some can be colored alive. In addition, plastic fibers are being used.
Paper is made and used to make handicrafts in Mexico. Paper making is a skill that goes back to pre-Hispanic times. The bark of two trees is mainly used, from the morus or mulberry family to white paper and from the ficus or figs family to the darker varieties. Traditionally, the skin is cut and eroded by men, but the making of the paper itself is done by women. The process begins by washing the bark, then boiling it with ash. Then rinsed and struck until the fibers knit, then dried in the sun. Banderolas, or paper-cut banners, hanged in the streets for special occasions.
Leatherwork in Mexico is closely related to the charro/vaquero tradition, or cowboy, which focuses on making saddles, belts, and boots. However, the skin can also be seen in the sarong seat, as in the chair equipale and as a lampshade. The skin is traditionally adorned with flowing patterns using labor-intensive tools and methods and colored with dyes or varnishes.
The palaces and houses of the Aztec tribesmen have ornate furniture . All pieces of hardwood will be carved on stools and tables, and other items. The furniture is decorated with gold and some covered with animal skins. Sort of lacquer or lacquer is in pre-Hispanic Mexico and is used in many ceramics. The Mendocino Codex mentions it as a type of watertight oil extracted from a worm called "ax" and mixed with oil from poppy seeds spiked or seeds and Mexican ore pigments, which produce paint. After the Conquest, Spain demanded European style furniture, which is usually made by the original craftsmen. Since colonial Mexico is the gateway of Spain to Asia, oriental techniques such as parquet and other types of inlay become common as well. The state of MichoacÃÆ'¡n is a major producer of handmade furniture, which can be easily varnished or stained or painted with bright colors.
Ceremonial objects are produced in each country's territory in different shapes, sizes and colors, whose main purpose is to celebrate the saints and holidays and to honor the dead. One of the major holidays for artesana is Day of the Dead. Objects are made to decorate the house and make "ofrendas" (altars for the deceased) such as candy skeletons, decorated skeletons, many of which dress imitate professions like doctors. A large number of flowers and other plant matter to create decorations for ofrendas and for graves. There are also special shiny black pottery used for objects related to the Day of the Dead. Another major feast for crafts is the Christmas season, where top pi and  ± top sales and ornaments of birth scenes are built in homes. For Palm Sunday, elaborate crosses are woven from palm leaves. In some places in Mexico during Holy Week, a large papier-mÃÆ'  ¢ chÃÆ'à © à © Judas Iscariot was burned in ritual. For the days of the patron saints, cut banners of paper hanged on the road and hung on windows.
Toys made in Mexico are mostly miniature representations of things in life, such as birds, furniture, mermaids, bullfights, carts and more, made with materials in hand such as bulrush, wood, cloth, clay and lead. They are mostly made for children from Mexican lower classes. They are considered artistic not because of originality but the ingenuity of creating something special from almost nothing. These toys, most of which survived from the late 19th and early 20th centuries, were increasingly appreciated by collectors but underestimated among Mexican public. Since the 1950s, with the influence of film and television, most children have stopped wanting this type of toys for mass-produced products abroad and based on what they see in the media. Most of the toys that are sold to tourists now are cheap copies made of what was once common.
See also
- List of Mexican craftsmen
- Mexican Art
- Mexican mask folk art
- Oaxaca handcrafts and folk art
References
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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